There is evidence of my great great grandfather having a set of twins...?

Question:

There is evidence of my great great grandfather having a set of twins...?

Genetically speaking, what are the chances of me having twins? As far as I know, nobody else has had twins on that side of the family since his time.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Unfortunately- when it comes to genetics, the gene is passed down through females on your maternal side. (Thus, what causes two eggs to be dropped.) It is a very common misconception that having twins now causes it to become genetic though.
I am currently pregnant with identical twins.- No history. That being said, even my own daughters or their daughters will not have a better chance of having twins just because I did- because they were identical monozygotic twins (from one egg) not fraternal (a result of double ovulation, or two eggs dropping.)

If you would like to know more about twinning, I suggest reading the holy grail of twinning- a book called "Having Twins And More" by Elizabeth Noble. Its the most complete and comprehensive source on twinning available to the general public.

Also keep in mind there are plenty of other reason for twinning to occur- not just genetics! Age, race, and parity (the amount of pregnancies you've already had) can effect your chances of fraternal twinning.
Best of Luck!